word is that, like the rest of american air, air over black rock city is controlled. now it isn't hard to fax around and get permission to go on a flight (takes about ten minutes presuming you haven't filled out any forms by the time you get to the airport for an unscheduled flight), but THIS MUTHERFUCKER didn't get any kind of clearance to go up into our air with that add, was flying below our designated air space (between 100ft and 300ft, he was around 50 to 80)), and ignored radio chatter from brc's local airport telling him to get his ass out of the sky. word is, dpw called the air force on him, and they ordered him down, took him to jail, and pulled his pilot's license.

yeah, but that was parody. the difference being: doing something because you're taking a jab at people who take themselves too seriously, and getting everyone a laugh at the same time; versus being paid to drag an ad around the sky by a private company.

hell, gigsville had a PBR billboard, but that was because they like PBR, not 'cause they got cash for it.

Everyone join in the campaign to email and write letters to Advanced Nutrients and tell them you and everyone you know are boycotting their products. Their advertising goes against EVERYTHING Burning Man stands for!

If we don't make an example of this bullshit we'll be seeing banners flying high all week long! Fuck Advanced Nutrients!

You can email "Big Mike" who runs the advertising division and tell him you and every grower/gardnener you know will be boycotting their products!
bigmike@advancednutrients.com

I dunno, I think this is going to backfire on them. Most of the burners who care about the event know that this was a blatantly disrespectful act on the advertisers part and that they probably lost customers because of it. I really hope that the story of the pilot losing his/her license is true because they deserve it.

word is, dpw called the air force on him, and they ordered him down, took him to jail, and pulled his pilot's license.

Um, 'word is' as in 'rumor?'

I'm not convinced. Although if the hull number of the aircraft was visible and was reported to the FAA, I imagine they are investigating it and that it's likely that some fine will be forthcoming not to mention a revocation of the pilot's license.

The airspace over BRC is NOT controlled in the way that you think. There is NO air traffic control below 10,000 feet as there is no reliable radar coverage below that altitude. Although it would be perfectly legal to fly over BRC (As long as it's over 1000' AGL [Above Ground Level]), it's HIGHLY unadvised due to the normally busy skies in the area. It's doubtful that the pilot had his license pulled but there could potentially be "administrative action" taken by the FAA as there are indeed reps of the FAA there (On a sidenote, the airport got an official designator this year; NV88 & the FAA has high praise for the way the airport is run.). The reason being that "each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight." This includes yourself, your aircraft, weather, route of flight, and potential hazards enroute. I don't know if there was a NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) posted for BM this year, but the guidelines for flying around BRC are no closely guarded secret and the pilot was flying in the reverse direction of the general pattern for viewing the city... But again, they are not regulations, just BM airport guidelines.

I didn't notice any other aircraft flying around at the time but I would chock most of that up to the unfavorable flying conditions at the time- Which amazed me that this guy would try to pull a huge banner like that in a little Robinson R-22 during wind and dust like that. Balls of steel or a head full of shit? You decide.

I came across this post on another forum from the president of Advanced Nutrients:

Subject Line: Spectacular Burning Man Mistake

Hey- I made a spectacular mistake and Iâ€™m sorry.
Itâ€™s not often I have to write a letter like this. At Burning Man this year I made a decision to fly the Advanced Nutrients Bud Banner.
It was a mistake to do it and I humbly apologize for that. The last thing I wanted to do was interfere with the vibe that was happening there.
As CEO of Advanced Nutrients I take full responsibility and the decision to fly the banner at Burning Man lays squarely on my shoulders alone.
In 1986 when Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a wooden man and small wooden dog on the beach in San Francisco. Harvey described his reason for burning the effigies as an â€œact of radical self expression.â€

Just wanted you to know this discussion is raging across the border in Canada too. A friend of mine from Calgary sent this response to a regional buner page in Alberta:

"I saw the banner and was annoyed by it too. But we are already assaulted by banner advertising all over Black Rock City. The messages are: Budget, Penske and U-Haul. Few of these banners on cube vans and trailers get covered or are asked to be. If we want to protect our city from advertising we can also enforce our feelings inside the city."

Hugs-Kikikaboodle

And I say throw in Cruise America too. Their RV's were everywhere and not a coverup did I see. The first year I went, my friends stopped and blacked taped over the U Haul letters to Spell out Ru Paul. Very Clever. I taped over my logo on my truck this year plus even my trailer's make and model. And then you see those big cans out their with BUDGET!!! all over them. A bit hypocritical I say.